Mont GraniteCustomers can walk the aisles of the massive Mont Granite Inc. warehouse in Solon to see stone slabs imported from throughout the world.Marvin Fong, The PDA wine cabinet at the KraftMaid Experience showroom in Chagrin Falls.

Pull a drawer, test a faucet, run your fingers over a countertop bevel. That's how you'll really be able to tell whether you want a particular kitchen or bath amenity. Catalog perusing can't compare with seeing and feeling the real thing.

Whether you are in the dream stage of remodeling or building, or have your plans in hand, a visit to a showroom that welcomes the public is a must. Here are five in the area:

What you'll see: A new 7,000-square-foot showroom in downtown Chagrin Falls with 30 vignettes and two fully functioning kitchens featuring KraftMaid locally hand-crafted cabinetry and built-in storage solutions for kitchen, bath, home office, family room, laundry room -- in other words, every room in the house. "When you walk in the showroom, it is just full of inspiration. It feels very warm and welcoming," said Karen Brawn, senior marketing manager.

Showroom amenities: Design professionals will not only help you select KraftMaid cabinetry, they will also assist in selecting flooring, appliances and countertops. Showroom staff will help steer your project from design to installation. Bring your pets -- it's OK. Bowls of water and treats are provided.

To get the most from your visit: Make an appointment to walk through displays with a designer who will focus on your project whether you are just beginning to think about a renovation or will start one right away. It's not called an "Experience" for nothing. "It's almost like a little treasure hunt," said Brawn.

Events: Geauga Humane Society's Rescue Village will bring in adoptable pets the first four Saturdays in October. On Oct. 31, KraftMaid will host a doggie Halloween costume contest from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pooches can then attend a party from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

What you'll see: A 3,000-square-foot showroom filled with kitchen, bath and fireplace "scenes." Showroom is connected to a 55,000-square-foot warehouse the public can visit. Cranes lift giant slabs so that you can pick one that has just the right veining for the kitchen island you want to surface. The warehouse also labels stone with a price category. (No children are permitted in the warehouse.)

Showroom amenities: Staff will help homeowners select cabinetry and flooring to coordinate with stone. An appointment is suggested.

To get the most from your visit: Bring swatches, paint chips, cabinet pieces and walk up and down the warehouse aisles. "It's very interactive," said Lauren Ujvari, Mont Granite marketing director. Make an appointment for full attention from a staffer, and bring an open mind. "Our designers can introduce you to possibilities you may have never thought of before," said Ujvari.

Marvin Fong, The PDThirty vignettes and two functioning kitchens at the KraftMaid Experience showroom in Chagrin Falls feature hand-crafted cabinetry made locally.

Moen

25300 Al Moen Drive, North OlmstedCall 440-962-2000 if you have showroom questions. www.moen.com.

Merchandise: Consumers can view Moen products in the showroom, then order from a distributor or retailer. (There is a location finder at moen.com.)

What you'll find: All the latest Moen faucets, tub/shower fixtures, kitchen sinks and accessories -- some attached to running-water displays in this 1,065-square-foot showroom. Showcases of a full assortment of ioDigital, Moen's new digital showering and tub line along with other Moen luxury bath and kitchen products like Showhouse, Fina, the Cleveland Faucet Group, Creative Specialties International and Ascent.

Interesting features: A timeline display starting in 1937 with the invention of the first single-handle mixing faucet by founder Al Moen.

How to use: The showroom is not staffed with designers. It is meant as a showcase of new products to inspire and educate consumers and trade professionals.

What you'll see: A 6,000-square-foot showroom with six kitchens, three of them working, that feature appliances of different styles and finishes. Not sure if you want a Sub-Zero in stainless or with an overlay that integrates with a wall of cabinetry? Here's where you'll see both -- and learn about an appliance's attributes and operation.

Showroom amenities: "We want to inspire and educate consumers," said Nancy DiVita, showroom director. Showroom staff will counsel consumers about appliances and will also refer visitors to suppliers of countertops and flooring.

To get the most from your visit: Make an appointment, even if you're coming during regular hours. "That gives us a chance to provide personal attention," said DiVita. "It's a no-pressure atmosphere," she adds. Bring samples of anything that will stay after a remodel -- for example, a cabinet door. "We'll help anywhere we can in the design process of a new kitchen."

Events: Occasional culinary demonstrations and consumer training on how to use an appliance are offered. Check the Web site.

Merchandise: Kitchen and bath appliances, countertops, showers and spas, vanities, sinks and toilets. Sells to both consumers and to trades.

What you'll see: Two floors and 40 vignettes of kitchens, baths, saunas and spas. "From high-end to low-end and everything between," said Amy Buzek, the Akron showroom manager for Trumbull Inc., which has been in business for 80 years.

To get the most from your visit: "Please make an appointment," said Buzek. Showroom staff prides itself on personal attention. It will spend two or three hours with a customer who is building or remodeling and might take a half-hour with a customer who is buying a faucet, she said.

Showroom amenities: Antique parts. Can't find a replacement for the hot-water handle on your Victorian clawfoot tub? Trumbull has it or can find it. "That's one of the areas we really shine in," said Buzek.

Perks: A salesman will take free field measurements of your remodel to assist in design. Staff is fully versed on wheelchair-accessible showers, grab bars and other modifications that meet Americans With Disabilities Act standards and will help you match equipment to needs.

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